We wanted to share an event and fundraiser that will help equip first responders with pet oxygen masks, K9Rex Specs and K-9 vests in case you might like to attend or want to donate or share with others.

In addition to being co-founder of Fedhealth and co-author (with Bill) of our customizable preparedness book, I am also Exec VP of the U.S. First Responders Association.

All donations and proceeds from ticket and concession sales will be donated to USFRA who will purchase and donate pet oxygen masks and K-9 gear to Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement departments.

Also learn more about The Starlight Singers 5/26 event here (which is free for first responders) or on USFRA’s Facebook post … and leave us a comment or email evp@usfra.org with any questions or needs.

Yes … you read that right. Our upgrade option now allows agencies, businesses and organizations to add up to 288 extra color glossy pages in our IT’S A DISASTER! books for a total of 300 customizable pages..!

Our regular 266-page manual provides tips on what people should think about and do before, during and after specific types of emergencies and disasters, as well as how to administer basic first aid.

Both the public and private sectors have been using our preparedness books (and ebooks, CDs and flash drives) for volunteers, employees, customers and local communities since 1999.

We customize books in the print process on 1,000 unit (& larger) orders and the covers and first 12 pages can be personalized at no additional charge.

And if you want 48 to 288 extra full color glossy pages, the upgrade price is $7.00 U.S. each and includes free customization and free freight within 48 contiguous U.S. states.

It’s a great Public-Private Partnership tool

FEMA believes that every community benefits from public-private collaboration in emergency management, and our company’s products are perfect Public Private Partnership tools.

Groups can partner with local Chambers, Rotary Clubs, Local Emergency Planning Committees, UASIs, VOADs, grocery, discount and hardware stores and others … and encourage them to place full color ads inside books for day to day goods and services. Consider collecting ridiculously LOW prices to advertise and remind advertisers and sponsors that books will STAY in the home year round (unlike many other forms of print advertising). And, if paperbacksare filled with coupons, QR codes and savings on things like groceries, preparedness supplies, lawn care, haircuts, dry cleaning and more, the public (and advertisers) will look forward to new versions of the book year after year.

The goal is to use this customized “tool” to encourage and incentivize people to keep your custom book around so they will constantly reference the data. A great way to do that is to fill the paperback full of coupons and savings on every day products and services from your local partners. Basically we are “buying the public’s engagement” while helping whole communities prepare for the unexpected, plus it’s a great way for groups to raise funds.

Use the color glossy pages to build and expand public-private partnerships and offer coupons and savings to motivate and engage the public while raising funds for volunteers or projects.

Funding examples

Say a nonprofit or volunteer group (like a CERT) wants 1,000 custom books with a 48-page color glossy section added (total of 60 custom bound pages) and collects $200 for each 1/4-page ad…

Sell 50 1/4-page ads: $200/ad x 4 ads/pg x 50 pgs = $40,000

Cost for 1,000 books with 48 extra color glossy pages = $7,000

Total funds leftover for nonprofit/CERT = $33,000 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad or offering premium placement on outside color covers, inside covers, use some more color pages for ads, etc.

Now let’s say a Region or association/Rotary wants 50,000 custom books with 288 extra color glossy pages and collects $5,000 for each full page ad…

Sell 288 pgs of full pg ads: $5,000/ad x 288 pgs = $1,440,000

Cost for 50,000 books w/ 288 extra color glossy pgs = $350,000

Total funds leftover for Region/Assoc/Rotary = $1,090,000 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad or offering premium placement on outside color covers, inside covers, use more pages for ads, etc.

Note: A $5,000 ad is only 10 cents per book that goes into 50,000 homes..! That’s cheaper than a postcard … plus a576 page book STAYS around.

Please realize we have to bundle 1,000 unit & up custom jobs together and print minimum 20,000 books at a time several times a year. Also … we can do multiple versions of books for projects (1,000 & up per version) so you can customize covers and pages by area, county, division, agency, etc.

NOTE: We are doing acustom print early Augustso books are ready for National Preparedness Month.

And remember, in small quantities and on rush orders we can always customize our “standard” red books with free peel and stick labels.

You can change the entire outside cover (including thebook title) and the first 12 pages can be customized with your contact information, evacuation routes, marketing data, advertisements and sponsorship messages from local partners and more. (The books are all the same after first 12 pages ~ view some sample covers and pages.)

Also … going forward, we’ll be printing all custom pages in FULL color on glossy paper at no extra charge!

And if you need additional pages, we can insert 48 to 288 color pages in front or back for an upgrade price. This feature comes in handy if agencies or groups want to partner with local businesses, chambers and others to include coupons and discounts for communities … or incorporate other booklets or educational materials inside custom books. We also have some creative revenue sharing ideas to help first responders, volunteers, nonprofits and others.

Again, we hope to send all completed artwork to our printer late May for a late June 2014 delivery.

We recently did a bulk print for several agencies and a Rotary Club and wanted to share their custom covers and briefly describe how groups use our customizable books.

Since 1999 agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations across the U.S. and Canada have used custom preparedness books as educational giveaways to employees, volunteers, customers and communities. They also make great gifts that show you care about your recipients’ health and well-being (esp. for the holidays!)

We discount our 266-page book 50% to 70% off list (as low as $4.50 U.S. each) and customize them for free — either in print process [1,000 units & up] .. OR .. with peel & stick labels using our standard red books [any Quantity].

Some creative ways agencies, businesses and organizations use “IT’S A DISASTER!” …

Agencies / First Responders = for staff, volunteers and local communities

Groups can change the entire book cover (including the title) and the first 12 pages can be personalized with emergency ph#s, marketing and safety data, advertisements or sponsorship information, or whatever you’d like … then books are all the same after the first 12 pages.

And a new feature we are now offering is a 48 page color glossy insert that can be bound into books for an up-charge (so up to 60 customizable pages) creating a very substantial personalized reference manual.

Agencies, businesses or nonprofits can use the color inserts to collaborate with local partners and offer coupons and savings to motivate the public while raising funds to sustain your projects. Collect anything you can for ads or sponsorship … cash, lines of credit, barter or trade … and keep it all since Fedhealth prints the ads for free. See some funding examples here.

Below are some custom covers and pages from a few groups we recently printed books for and how they are using them in their respective communities. More samples are viewable here.

Rotary Club of McHenry County Sunrise

On September 28, 2013 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. the Rotary Club of McHenry-Sunrise will host the Disaster Response Appreciation Day at Petersen Park in McHenry, Illinois.

The Chasing4Life Team along with local organizations will present and demonstrate the role of a variety of response teams in the event of a disaster.

Some attractions at the event will include a portable disaster response command center and hospital, a K-9 demonstration, a drone equipped with a camera and thermal imaging technology to find missing persons and an exceptional attraction for kids. Children in attendance can maneuver their way out of a mock safety house during a simulated fire.

Admission will be free though donations will be welcome and encouraged. (RCOMS is selling their customized book direct to the public.)

Rotary Club of McHenry-Sunrise’s custom covers and several custom pages are wrapped around our 266-page preparedness and first aid manual.

Connecticut Region 2 Medical Reserve Corps

The Connecticut Region 2 Medical Reserve Corps Partners include Shoreline MRC, New Haven MRC, West Haven MRC, Wallingford MRC, Milford MRC and Naugatuck Valley MRC. The Region 2 Coordinator at East Shore District Health Department along with Naugatuck Valley Health District pooled funds to purchase books for their MRC volunteers.

In a May 30, 2013 press release (after the Albany County Sheriff’s Office initial purchase) Sheriff Craig Apple asked individuals or organizations who wished “to partner with ACSO in further productions of this important publication” to contact his office. The Albany County Health Department and County Executive Daniel McCoy joined forces with the Sheriff’s office to reprint more custom books for their community using some Homeland Security grant funds.

Standard red books with stickers

Remember … in small quantities and on rush orders we can always customize our standard red books with free peel and stick labels to convey your messages to your recipients.

We have written about our ad / sponsorship program before but we wanted to share some numbers and examples that might just boggle your mind.

These ideas may help volunteers and groups partner with local businesses to purchase custom books … plus help them raise funds!

CUSTOM BOOK OVERVIEW

Fedhealth bundles bulk jobs together several times a year so agencies, businesses and groups can get customized IT’S A DISASTER! books for employees, volunteers, customers and local communities. (As fyi, we have to bundle jobs so we can print 20,000 or more at a time to offer such deep discounts.)

Keep in mind we discount our 266-page disaster preparedness and basic first aid manuals up to 75% off list (or as low as $3.50 U.S. each) … and we customize them in the print process on 1,000 unit (or larger) quantities at NO additional charge.

You can change the entire outside cover (including the book title) and the first 12 pages can be customized (in color now) with your contact information, evacuation routes, marketing data, advertisements and sponsorship messages from local partners and more. (The 266-page books are all the same after first 12 pages – see some samples.)

And, if needed, a 16, 32 or 48-page full color glossy insert can be added in books for an upcharge (so up to 60 customizable pages) creating a very substantial reference manual that can be personalized for employees, customers or local communities.

In smaller quantities and on rush orders we can customize our “standard” red books with free peel and stick labels. It’s not as cool as a custom book, but it allows volunteer groups, nonprofits, agencies, schools and businesses to personalize books for their recipients.

NICKELS AND DIMES

Many agencies and volunteer groups want to purchase IT’S A DISASTER! books for local volunteers and citizens, but they don’t have any money in their limited budgets. Plus nonprofits, schools and First Responders are always looking for ways to raise money.

So ~ a creative way to get local businesses involved is to sell advertisements or acknowledge sponsorship inside books (or eBooks) … and Fedhealth will print the ads and other data for FREE and throw the value in as “match” on your paperwork.

Groups can collect anything you can for ads or sponsorship … take cash, lines of credit, barter or trade (whatever you can get) … and keep it all since Fedhealth prints them for free..!

We’re flexible on ad layouts since some may want to do a list of sponsors while another wants to offer quarter, half or full page ads. The below examples just use ¼-page ads for simplicity.

Example #1: Say a CERT or Scout troop wants to purchase 100 red books but has no money so collects $50 for 1/4 page ad on 3 large stickers…

Total funds leftover for Region or nonprofit = $82,000 … and more funds could be raised by collecting more per ad or offering premium placement on outside covers, inside covers, use some more color pages for ads, etc.

NOTE: A $1,000 ad is only 5 cents per book that goes into 20,000 homes..!!

A nickel (or a dime or 5) per book is a great deal for advertisers and the ads can help generate excitement and participation in the community since it helps people save money on supplies and day-to-day goods and services. Plus the leftover funds can be used by groups doing the project to help fund their efforts!!

As always, we are completely open to ANY idea that gets this data into the public’s hands and helps our country “be aware, be prepared and have a plan”!

Please call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 to discuss your needs or to request a free information kit … or download a free 56-page mini ebook and learn more about our Public-Private Partnership ideas.

The ninth annual National Preparedness Month kicks off today September 1, 2012 with a “Pledge to Prepare” theme.

The NPM campaign, sponsored by FEMA, Ready and Citizen Corps, seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging American families and businesses to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

As a proud Coalition member once again, Fedhealth is encouraging everyone to take the pledge, join the team and help themselves, their neighbors, and their communities be Ready.

Some of our special projects and events planned for NPM 2012 and beyond include…

Spread preparedness messages As we do year-round, FedHealth will be sharing preparedness and safety information in our e-news and on various blogs and forums we contribute to; appearing on multiple podcasts; discounting our products while helping fund volunteer groups, nonprofits, schools and others … and much more!

Special discounted Pricing Now through September 30, 2012 we are discounting the price on our customizable IT’S A DISASTER! books to over 50% off list (or only $7.00 each U.S.) on ANY quantity purchase! (Plus we can donate up to 30% of orders back to our partners and affiliates helping spread the word.)

And the price drops even further in bulk, plus books can be customized at no additional charge to include your logos and special messages to recipients. Learn more

Proud sponsor of HSFA’s Ready Roadmap San Diego The Homeland Security Foundation of America is planning to kickoff Ready Roadmap San Diego from Paradise Point Resort (“HALO Island”) this fall, sponsored by the HALO Corporation and Fedhealth.

And some ideas for agencies, volunteer groups, nonprofit organizations, businesses, schools, youth groups and others for NPM and year-round include…

Use up those leftover grant dollarsMany Federal grants close out September 30th so if your agency or nonprofit has dollars that need to be spent before a deadline, please consider using IT’S A DISASTER! books to commit those funds. The book qualifies as community education under many different grants and provides about a $4-to-$1 return on match. Learn more or call 1-888-999-4325

School / Youth Group FundraisersA great way for schools and youth groups to participate in September’s National Preparedness Month is to use our IT’S A DISASTER! book as a fundraiser and earn money while educating local communities! Learn more

And learn more about the Ready Campaign and National Preparedness Month at www.ready.gov